Door control mechanism



Nov. 8, 1932. A. E. WILSON DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Aug. 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet fmaniwfl Wilson,

I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Nov. 8, 1932. A. E. WILSON 1,886,999

DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Aug. 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flmazm/w Z; Wz zso m JNVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 8, 1932" I UNITED STATES ,AMANDAEDSEN WILSON, F GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS noon CONTROL MECHANISM Application filed Auguste, 1931. Serial .No. 555,573.

"The present invention contemplates a doorcontrol mechanism, including a sliding latch normall holding a pair. of hingedly mounted doors 0 osed, and subsequently utilized to hold said doors open, and controlled in its movements by a-single operating cable.

4 In carrying out the invention, the latch is initially actuated by an operating cable to release said doors, and incident to the opening movement's thereof, the latch is shifted to its second active position to hold the doors open, the latch being subsequently actuated by the same cable to release said doors, which latter together. with said latch are automatically returned totheir normalposition.

The invention aims to provide a mechanism o f'the above-mentioned character, which is simplein construction, and capable of being quickly and conveniently setupfor use with out requiring anyalterations of the building structure, and one which is easy to operate and not very apt to become impaired.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the foltion with the accompanyingdrawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this application like numerals of reference indicate similar'parts in the several views andwhere- Figure 1 is a'fragmentary sectional View of a building structure showing the normal position of the latch'and its associated parts.

Figure 2is a similar view, illustrating by dotted lines the doors of the structure opened, and the corresponding position of the latch.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view partly in f? section showing the doors closed 7 Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section, showing how the doors are latched when opened.

Figure 5 is a perspectiveview of the latch.

I have illustrated the invention in connec tion with the doors of a garage structure, but it is of course to be understood'that it is applicable to any swingingly mounted door, and the general application of the invention is of course contemplated by the claims.

lowing detail description is read in'c'om1ec-- In the drawings, 10 indicates a buildin structure, preferably a garage, equipped wa a pair of swingingly mounted doors indicated at 11.

The means forcontrollingthe movements of these doors, forming the subject matter of the present invention preferably includes a horizontally disposed bar 12 of rectangular contourin cross section, and whichbar is arranged within the'building structure directly abovethe meeting edges of the doors. The iorward'end of the bar 12 is suitably connected with the adj acent wall of the building structure, while the opposite end of this bar issupported by a bracket 13 depending from an overhead support indicated generally at 1 1. Mounted to slide longitudinally on the bar 12 is a sleeve-like latch 15, clearly illus trated'in Figure 5. This latch is of course of rectangular contour in cross section to accommodate itselfto the bar 12, and projecting 'from'the opposedlongitudinal side of the latch are apertured lugs 16. These'lugs receive the ofiset extremities 17 of a pair of, links 18, the corresponding outer extremities of which are pivotally connected with the doors 11 as at 19in any suitable manner. Obviously, by reason of this construction, the l'atch'15 is moved'longitudin'ally of the bar 12 incident to the openingand closing move ments of the doors. c

The normal position of the latch 15 is clearly illustrated in Figures '1 and 2, in which position the doors 11 are closed. For holding the latch in its normal position, the latch is provided with a laterally projecting bolt 19, beveled toward one end and carried by one side of the latch as illustrated in Figure 5. Pivotallymounted on the bar 12 adjacent one end is a lever 20 having an offset extremity 21 forming ashoulder adapted to engage the bolt 19 asshown in Figure 1. The lever 20 is provided with a weight 22 which of course holdsthe lever in the path of movement of the bolt 19, so that when the-latch is returned to 0 its normal position, the. adjacent endof the lever will pass beneath the beveled portion of the bolt, until the latter occupies the position. illustrated in Figure 1, whereupon the; lever will assume its normal 5 position; toengage the bolt for the purpose stated. The lever is also provided with an extension 23 having an eye through which one end of an operating cable 24 is passed and secured. This cable 24 is arranged parallel with the bar 12, and is guided through a suitable eye 25 secured to the adjacent wall of the building structure, with the free extremity of the cable depending therefrom so that it can be conveniently grasped to move the lever 20 upon its pivot and thereby effect a release of the latch 15, when it is desired to open the doors. Subsequent to the release of the latch 15 in the manner just stated, the doors 11 can be easily pushed to their open positions illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2, and incidentto the opening movements of the doors, the latch 15 is shifted from its normal position, to its second active position illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2. In the'position occupied by the latch, as illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2, the latch is utilized to hold the doors 11 in their opened positions, and for which purpose, the latch is provided with a-bolt 26 supported by the upper wall of the latchadj acent the forward end thereof. This bolt is also provided with a beveled surface 27.

Supported up on the front wall of the building structure immediately above the door opening is a bracket plate 28, upon which is pivotally mounted as at 29 a lever 30 which extends across the bar 12 and has its free end arranged behind a lug or keeper 31 carried by the bracket plate 28. This construction is clearly illustrated in Figure 3. This lever 30 is provided with a relatively broad lower portion as clearly illustrated in Figure 4, and the underside of this portion is recessed as 1' at 32 to receive and accommodate the bolt 26 of "the latch 15. By virtue of this construction, it is manifest that whenthe latch 15 is moved from its normal position to the position illustratedby dotted lines in Figure 2, incident to the opening of the doors 11, the

' bolt 26 will pass beneath the lever 80, elevating the latter, until the bolt 26 is arranged directly beneath the recess 32, whereupon the lever 30 will gravitate to its active position to engage the bolt 26. Consequently the latch 15 is held against movement, and the doors are held in their opened positions. As hereinabove stated, the operating cable 24 which is initially utilized to release the latch 15 from the lever 20, is subsequently used to release the latch from the lever 30, when it is desired to close the doors 11, and for this purpose the lever 30 is provided with an oifset eye extension 33 through which the cable 24 passes. However, the cable is provided at an appropriate point in its length with an enlargement 34, preferably a ball as illustrated in Figure 4, and when the cable 24 is pulled upon, with the latch in the position illustrated in Figure 4,the enlargementor ball 34 will strike the extension 33 of the lever 30, thereby rocking this lever upon its pivot to effect a release of the latch 15. Subsequent to the release of the latch 15 from the lever 30, the doors 11 as well as the latch 15 are automatically returned to their normal positions. This may be accomplished in various ways, but I preferably employ a weight 35 suspended by a flexible element 36 trained over a guide pulley 37 and which element is connected to a pro ection 38 rising from the top of the latch 15.

In practice, the parts are normally in the position illustrated in Figure 1, and to open the doors 11 from inside the building struccure, it is only necessary to pull upon the operating cable 24. When this cable is initially. operated, the lever 20 is rocked upon its pivot to effect a release of the latch 15, so

that the doors can be pushed open, incident to which movement of the doors, the latch 15 is shifted longitudinally on the bar 12 to the position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig ure 2. As the latch assumes this position it is engaged by the lever 30, and thus utilized to hold the doors open. In order to close the doors, it is onl the cable 24, w ereupon the ball or enlargement 34 of the cable will operate the lever 30 necessary to again operate to efiect a release of the latch 15, whereupon the doors and latch will be automatically returned to their normal positions as above described.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein illustrated or described, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what 7 bolt integral with and projecting upwardly from the front end of said latch, a latch lever pivoted on a side of the bar near the rear end of the latter to automatically engage the lat erally projecting bolt when the door is closed, a further latch lever pivoted above the front end of the bar to automatically engage the upwardly projecting bolt when the door is opened, and means to disengage the latch levers from said bolts.

2. The door locking device claimed in claim 1, in which the second-named latch lever is provided with an eye extension, and whereinthe latch lever disengaging means consists of a cable attached at one end to the first-named latch lever and extending throu h said eye extension of the second-named atch lever, said cable having an enlargement arranged to strike the eye extension of the secondnamed latch lever when the cable is pulled.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

AMANDA EDSEN WILSON. 

